“Mama…” Anna’s voice wavered as she rushed in, clutching her certificate. “I made this for you.”

Sarah blinked, wiped her cheeks, and crouched down. “Let me see.”

Anna held it out like it was a national award. In glittered, crooked letters, it read: WORLD’S BRAVEST MOM, with a stick-figure drawing of Sarah holding Elijah, Anna holding her hand, and their house behind them.

Sarah laughed—a wet, shaky sound that cracked something deep inside. “It’s perfect,” she whispered. “Absolutely perfect.”

Anna threw her arms around her, nearly knocking her backward. Sarah hugged her tightly, the kind of hold that said, I’m not going anywhere this time. Jerome stepped back, but Sarah reached out, caught his wrist, and silently told him to stay.

When she let go of Anna, Sarah faced Jerome, her eyes red but clear. “You didn’t just save our lives,” she said. “You gave us one.”

He shook his head. “You built this. I just cleared the debris.”

She stepped closer. “I want you in our life. Not as a visitor. Not as a rescuer. As someone who belongs here… not because we need you, but because we want you.”

Anna grinned like she already knew this moment was coming. Elijah babbled in perfect agreement. Jerome swallowed hard. “Then I’m here,” he said. “For good.”

Sarah exhaled a long, shaking breath she’d been holding for years. “Good,” she whispered. “Because I’m done surviving. I’m ready to live.”

Behind them, Anna raised the certificate like a victory flag. “Can we hang it in the kitchen?” she asked.

Sarah laughed. “Absolutely. And can Mr. Carter stay for dinner?”

She looked at Jerome, then her daughter. “He’s staying for everything.”

And just like that—quietly, without fireworks—the four of them stepped into a new chapter. Not perfect. Not easy. But theirs. A family, built the hard way. The real way. The way that lasts.